Light switch extension arm



1967 D. R. DE VALL 3,339,051

LIGHT SWITCH EXTENSION ARM Filed May 15, 1966 INVENTOR.

BY fio/ares A fie Vd/l J/arzws L. Ba zes United States Patent 3,339,051 LIGHT SWITCH EXTENSION ARM Dolores R. De Val], 86 Devils Reach Drive, Woodbridge, Va. 22191 Filed May 13, 1966, Ser. No. 550,033 1 Claim. (Cl. 200-172) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A light switch extension arm, adapted to move a toggle switch from the on to the 011' position. The toggle is held between two sprung apart rods, with the other end of the rods being twisted together to form a screw. The screw is received within the depending end of a tubular body member. A handle is provided at the remainingdepending end of the body member. A guide means receives the sprung apart rods, with the guide means being attached to a switch cover by the cover screws.

The present invention relates to a light switch extension arm that is generally comprised of a detachable lever arm means that is adapted to be attached to the movable or switch actuating toggle portion of a standard light switch such as may be found in any ordinary home. The purpose of the extension arm is to permit small children that are not tall enough to reach a normally positioned conventional light switch to turn on and off a light, unassisted by their parents.

Light switches are conveniently located for adults, with little attention being directed in consideraion of the lack of height of small children who are old enough to go to the bathroom or kitchen for a drink of water at night, and yet have not reached a height that will enable them to actuate the light switch without the aid of a stool, chair, or the like. Realizing this problem, many parents leave a light burning all night so as to provide a means by which small children may have adequate illumination to find their way about at night without disturbing their parents. Operation of a light all night, every night, is expensive since it consumes an enormous amount of electricity over a period of time, and additionally is distracting, and causes an abnormal condition because it leaves the home partially illuminated at night, and furthermore sometimes attracts unwanted guests. In addition to obviating the foregoing objections, the present novel device allows self reliance and independence to be taught to children by allowing them to provide for themselves so far as concerns going to the bathroom and turning on their own lights, unassisted by their parents. Furthermore, the present novel device helps to eliminate much of the inborn and hereditary fear of darkness with which we all apparently are endowed.

The present novel device is adapted to be readily attached, or detached, to any standard light switch without disturbing any of the wiring or the switch mechanism itself. The device is harmless to the user, and in no way is detrimental from a standpoint of safety. The device may be readily attached or detached with a minimum of time and with a mere trifle of effort. Moreover, the device is simple in operation, low in cost, rugged in construction, and attractive in appearance. The device may advantageously be coated with luminous paint that glows in the dark so as to enable one to easily find it in the darkness.

In the various embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, there is shown and described a light switch extension arm that may be secured directly to the movable switch portion of a standard domestic light switch, and may also be additionally slidably secured directly to the cover plate thereof to assure that the extension arm Patented Aug. 29, 1967 will be kept out of the way where it may be readily used when needed to actuate the switch from a lower and adjustable level or elevation than is generally provided for.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a switch arm extension means that may be readily attached to a standard domestic light switch.

Another object of this invention is to provide an adjustable switch arm that may be readily attached to a standard light switch so as to enable small children to turn on or off the light switch in a convenient and logical manner.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a switch arm extension means that may be readily and efliciently attached to the existing light switch that is additionally provided with securing means whereby the mechanism is securely held adjacent the cover plate of the switch, out of the Way and conveniently placed.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a light switch extension arm that is attractive in appearance, rugged in construction, simple in design, and is provided with resilient means between the extremities thereof, in order to provide a resilient coupling that will prevent dislodgment or injury to the armor switch upon being subjected to a severe side load or the like.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a light switch extension arm that glows in the darkness, that is additionally provided with resilient teeth means that may be sprung apart so as to readily engage the movable toggle portion of the standard domestic light switch.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the fOllOWing detailed description.

In order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of constructing and operating and installing my invention, thefollowing description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings set forth several specific embodiments of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the novel light switch extension arm which may be operatively associated with the movable toggle portion of a light switch;

FIGURE 1-A illustrates additional details of part of the device of FIGURE 1., with the device being rotated ninety degrees in its vertical plane;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view that illustrates an other embodiment made in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, with some parts broken away and shown in section;

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIGURE 4, taken along line 55 there-of;

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of the device of FIGURE 4, taken along the line '66 thereof; and

FIGURE 7 is still another cross-sectional view of the device of FIGURE 4 taken along line 7-7 thereof.

Looking now to the details of FIGURE 1, in conjunction with FIGURES 1-A, 2, and 3, there is seen illustrated therein the novel switch extension arm generally indicated by the numeral 14 and illustrated as being disassociated from the light switch with which it is adapted to be used. The extension arm has an actuating end or handle 12 and an attaching end 18 that is adapted to be attached to the toggle portion of a standard light switch that may be found in any home.

7 The novel extension arm of FIGURES 1 through 3 is comprised of a body portion 10, preferably fabricated from a tubular stock of metal, and the handle portion 12 is arranged at the lower extremity of body portion 10.

The upper switch actuating portion of the extension arm is generally indicated by the numeral 14 and is comprised of two sprung apart rod portions 17 having a first divergent-convergent section provided with teeth 18 followed by another divergent-convergent section above theteeth 18 that forms convenient depending portions at 20 to enable the depending end portions of the rod 17 to be sprung apart with ones fingers so as to open or increase the space between the teeth to thereby facilitate installation thereof, as will be pointed out in greater detail later on. The teeth 18, as seen in FIGURE 1, are integrally attached to each of the rod portions 17 at the first convergent point, as by welding, brazing, or the like so as to form an engagement means with the toggle of a light switch.

As seen in FIGURE 1-A, the handle 12 is attached to the horizontal portion of the rod 22 which receives a ninety degree bend toward the depending end thereof so as to space the handle 12 away from a wall on which a switch associated with the device may be located in order to make the handle conveniently accessible to the user thereof. The vertical rod portion 22 is received with a friction fit through the reinforced end 15 of the body portion 10. The upper body portion has a similar reinforced end. Within the hollow tubular body portion 10, the rod 22 joins the two rods 17, although the rod 22 could be terminated short of the two rods 17, if desired. Alternatively, in the embodiment of FIGURES 1 through 3, the rod 22 may be reversed and bent upon itself and detached from rod portions 17 to thereby lock the rod 22 within the body portion while at the same time providing frictional engagement between the reversed bent rod portion 22 and the inner periphery of the body portion 10. A spring may be placed within the body 10 and between the two remaining portions of rods 17 and rod 22, if desired, so as to provide a resilient coupling between the rods that accordingly prevent an overload being placed on the handle 12.

As seen in FIGURE 1, the rod portions 17 have a diverging section immediately after emerging from the upper reinforcing end of body portion 10. This diverging section provides a tension regulating means since the depending rod portions 17 may be vertically positioned relative to the upper reinforced end of body portion 10 so as to force the teeth 18 toward each other, or to allow the teeth to Spring apart to the maximum amount, merely by vertically positioning the upper attaching end 14 of the device relative to the body portion 10.

The depending portions near numeral 20 having the before mentioned second diverging-converging section that provides a means by which the toggle engaging teeth 18 may be readily and efficiently arranged in engagement with the toggle of a light switch. The body portion 10, or the handle portion 12 may be painted with luminous paint, as desired.

Looking now to the details of FIGURE 4 in conjunction with the remaining figures, there is seen illustrated therein a second embodiment of the novel switch extension arm that generally employs a resilient handle portion and includes a guide means associated with a light switch cover plate in a novel manner. The novel switch extension arm is generally indicated by the numeral 22 and in the embodiment of FIGURE 4 the arm is shown operatively associated with a light switch having a cover 24 associated with an extension guide means 26 that maintains the assembly in aligned relationship with the toggle portion 27 of the switch. Screws 28 and 29 normally maintain the cover 24 assembled with the remaining light switch portions, and, as seen in the drawing, the lower screw 28 has been removed and replaced so as to provide a fastening means for the guide means 26. At the lower extremity of the switch extension arm 22 there is seen a handle portion 30 attached to a resilient plastic body portion 31 that receives each of two rod portions 32 therein. The rod portions 32 reciprocate within and are guided by the guide means 26 as best seen in FIG- URE 4 in conjunction with FIGURE 5. The depending end portions of the two rods 32 are in-turned and formed into two needle sharp spaced apart toggle engaging portions 33 that are adapted to bite or dig into the plastic toggle switch 27 so as to form a journaled-like connection therewith. The teeth 33 may be positioned on the toggle near the cover plate, or, if preferred, spaced away from the cover plate or toward the extremity of the depending free end of the toggle portion of the switch. The advantages and disadvantages of the exact location or placement of the teeth 33 relative to the toggle switch obviously involve the length of the lever arm formed between the journaled or pivotal portion of the toggle relative to the teeth 33 of the extension arm. A short moment arm requires a much larger force to be exerted upon the teeth in order to actuate the toggle as compared to a longer moment arm in the case where the teeth are spaced at the extremity or toward the depending free end of the toggle 27.

As previously indicated, the guide 26 is held firmly attached to the cover plate 24 by the before mentioned cover plate screw 28 and provides two channels within which each of the rods 32 may concurrently reciprocate in a longitudinal direction. The guide means is preferably fabricated from plastic and provided with spaced apart legs 36 and 38 so as to form longitudinal channels which may slidably receive rods 32 therein.

The handle 30, or the body portion 31, may be painted with luminous paint that glows in the dark, if desired. The body portion 31 that receives the twisted rod end portions at 40 may be removed from the twisted rod end portion and shortened by cutting the tubular end portion of 31 to a suitable length after which the plastic body portion 31 may be refitted onto the twisted end portion 40 merely by screwing it back into place since the twisted end, portion 40 provides a self threading element with respect to the resilient hollow portion of body 31. The plastic body portion 31 is sufficiently resilient so that any side-load that would normally tend to bend the rod 32 or perhaps dislodge the guide means 26, will instead merely temporarily bend the body portion sideways.

In either of the above described embodiments, the body portions may be provided with additional resilient means incorporated therein, if such an expedient is deemed desirable. For example, in the embodiment of FIGURE 1, the metal body portion 10 may be provided with a short length of closely wound spiraled spring, the depending ends of which are affixed to the lower body portion in a series relationship so as to prevent a side load from dislodging the novel device from the toggle. The embodiment of FIGURES 4 through 7 will generally not require such a spring provided the plastic material from which the body 31 is fabricated is sufficiently resilient so as to provide the same function as the proposed resilient spring. In operation, the embodiment of FIGURE 1 is grasped by the arcuate or curved end portion 20, whereupon the teeth 18 are sprung apart sufiiciently to allow the device to be placed about the toggle of a switch that in turn permits the teeth 18 to dig into the plastic toggle, thereby providing a journaled relationship between the teeth 18 and the toggle to accordingly permit the switch to be actuated from a point removed therefrom such as provided by the handle 12.

In the second embodiment of FIGURES 4 through 7, the rod portions 32 are sprung apart as in the before case, so as to permit engagement of the teeth 33 with the toggle 27 of the switch, after which the screw 28 is removed from the cover plate 24 and the guide means 26 properly located upon the cover plate 24 by using the same screw as a fastening means so as to accordingly receive the two rod portions 32 therein in a manner amply illustrated by FIGURE 5. The before mentioned screw 28 is replaced merely by inserting the screw in a manner as illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5 so as to hold the guide means 26 rigidly attached and in proper aligned relationship to the remaining switch structure. The length of the handle 31 may be adjusted by cutting off a portion of the depending hollow end portion that receives the twisted wires 40. Actuation of the extension arm by either grasping the body portion 31 or the handle portion 30 will in turn cause the rods 32 to reciprocate within the guide means- 26 that in turn actuates the toggle 27 by the teeth 33 in a manner similar to the above described first embodiment.

The herein described extension arm eifectively and eflicien-tly fulfills its intended purpose of providing a remote actuating means for a switch, and possesses long life due to the design, arrangement, and construction of the various components of the device, and especially as provided by the guide means in conjunction with the resilient handle of the second embodiment.

The embodiment is not to be understood as restricted. to the details set forth above since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a light switch assembly having a cover plate secured thereto by spaced apart screws, and a toggle means extending through the plate and between the screws for acutating the switch, the improvement comprising:

a light switch extension arm adapted to releasably engage the free end of the toggle, and including an upper toggle engaging member, a resilient body portion, a handle, and a guide means;

said toggle engaging portion including two sprung apart resilient rods, each rod having an end portion with both end portions twisted together to thereby form a screw, with the depending end portions opposite said screw forming spaced apart leg portions, with the terminal end of each leg forming a toggle engaging means whereby the toggle is pivota-lly held therebetween;

said body portion including an elongated tubular memher having an upper hollow portion and a lower portion which terminates in a handle, said upper tubular portion having an inside diameter slightly smaller than said twisted rod portion to thereby enable said twisted rod portion to be forcibly screwed into said hollow body portion;

said guide means including a body portion having a screw hole therethrough for receiving the lowermost screw of the cover plate, said guide means further including spaced apart channels with said screw hole received therebetween whereby said guide means can be removably attached to said cover plate by the lower screw to thereby reciprocatingly receive each leg within each channel; whereby:

vertical movement of said handle recipr-ocates said body portion along with said toggle engaging portion to thereby position the toggle to thereby actuate the switch from the on to the oil position, and

vice versa.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,580,905 1/1952 Foster 200-172 2,692,932 10/1954 Parke et al. 200-172 2,724,032 11/1955 Coletta 200-172 3,142,744 1/1964 Keck 200-172 3,175,420 3/1965 Craig 200-172 3,188,439 6/1965 Fullerton 200-172 ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner. H. O. JONES, Assistant Examiner. 

